


crowning the king of understating

by siojo



Series: Equestrian AU [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Children, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Equestrian, Friendship, Gen, Horseback Riding, Horses, Mentioned Serious Injuries, mentioned background pairs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 01:02:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15474057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siojo/pseuds/siojo
Summary: Sabo gets to go to his, very first, horse competition to see what happens and meets Ace's family.





	crowning the king of understating

**Author's Note:**

> the serious injury is shanks' canonical lost arm. no one is actually harmed at this point in time.

“Are you going to come to the competition?” Ace asks softly, making sure that he stood as close to Sabo as he could while Mr. Benn takes the other group through several maneuvers, the ones that he and Ace and the other person in their group had already finished up. “I know that Benn invited your mom and dad, but I don’t know if you are really coming.”

 

“I’ll be there,” Sabo promises, he hasn’t heard anything but how Shanks Rötthar would be at the competition and how perfect it was for networking. His mother hadn’t even mentioned fencing since that announcement and she had been seriously considering it before that invitation. “Are you?”

 

“Yeah, I’m always there,” Ace pauses and he holds a chunk of carrot out to Sabo for his horse, Sabo wonders why Ace is always at the competitions. Was that a requirement of a working student? “This is my last class with you.”

 

“Really?”

 

Ace nods, “but I’ll still be here and I wanna introduce you to my mom and dad, they’ll be at the competition,” the way that Ace’s smile falters makes Sabo feel better, because Ace thinks that they’re friends. They’re  _ friends _ . “And maybe we can still hang out before lessons?”

 

“Alright,” Sabo agrees, even though he’s confused and he doesn’t want Ace to leave. It’s easy to see how good Ace is at riding, even if he wasn’t in the beginning. “If we were bigger, we could have computers and talk that way.”

 

Ace laughs, “I can give you my phone number on Saturday? I don’t remember it or I would give it to you now,” he adds. “Is that okay?”

 

Sabo nods softly, glancing at his parents and knowing that they wouldn’t like him staying in contact with Ace and not caring, because they were friends, “I might have to call you all the time. Instead of you calling me, my parents don’t like when I get phone calls.”

 

“Okay. Mama says that she’s glad that I’m making friends, so I don’t think she would be mad if you called and asked for me, unless  you don’t wanna? You don’t have to.”

 

“We’re friends,” Sabo says instead, to see how the word feels. He’s never had friends, just people that his parents wanted him to talk to because they would be good to advance his future. “I like talking to you and maybe we can talk more. About more than horses.”

 

Ace’s smile is bright and wider than Sabo’s ever seen it before, “We’re friends?”

 

“Unless you don’t wanna be,” Sabo says quickly, backtracking because his nerves fail him. “I don’t mind if you just wanna be casual acquaintances.”

 

“That’s a big word for someone our age,” Ace says, but he’s still grinning and Sabo is going to count that as a victory. “I want to be friends. I’ve never had one before. I have a little cousin, but he’s a baby.”

 

“Then we’re friends,” Sabo promises.

 

Ace grins, slipping Lis a carrot and rocking back on his heels as the class started to wind down, they had been the first group to go through the newest tricks and Sabo knew he would hurry off to the barns with Lis in just a few minutes, “I’m not good at waking up.”

 

“Not good at waking up?” Sabo says slowly.

 

“Yeah, when I see you on Saturday, it’ll be early and I might still be asleep. Gramps says that mama and dad have to pick up dad’s favorite student, so he has to get me up and dressed. He’s not good at it, so I’m always sleepy still when I get places,” Ace shrugs. “So, sorry if I’m not really awake when I see you then.”

 

“My parents are making me get up two hours before because I won’t be awake otherwise,” Sabo admits softly.

 

“Gramps is weak when I ask to please sleep a little while longer, so he never wakes me up like he’s suppose to. He’ll probably get me dressed too, because I pouted.”

 

Sabo giggles, hand shooting to cover his mouth, “Mother and father have a maid get me up and they’re never happy if I’m late.”

 

“Maybe if mama is in a good mood, and your parents are okay with it, we can have a sleepover one day,” Ace’s eyes look like they’re glittering. “S-,” he cuts off suddenly, not like he’s forgot the word, because Sabo’s done that, more like he wasn’t suppose to say anything. “My big brother says that sleepovers are lots of fun and I’ve never had a friend to invite to one before.”

 

“Maybe,” Sabo says instead of saying no. It would be a no. Sabo knows what his parents will say. What they already say about Ace because he’s working to pay for part of his classes. “Oh, you have to go?”

 

Ace nods, waving to the groom from their first day of class together, “Saturday, promise?”

 

“Promise,” Sabo promises and hates that his heart hurts. “See you then, Ace.”

 

“Bye Sabo!”

 

His mother is waiting when Mr. Benn releases them, the twist to her lips means that she caught at least the goodbye that Ace said just a bit too loud. Sabo bites the inside of his cheek and hopes that she doesn’t make it even worse.

 

“What did that boy have to say,” she demands leading the way to the car. “What were you doing talking to him in the first place? Letting him know your name,” she sounds disgusted.

 

“Mr. Benn calls us only by first name,” Sabo answers softly. “He was stating that he would no longer be in my class by next week,” he takes a second to collect himself, because it’s not a lie, but he has to say it correctly. “I was asking after the horse that I was riding. Mr. Benn says that competing it would be best to purchase my own and I wanted to know the breed and if it was for sale currently.”

 

His mother’s gloved hands move and Sabo fights to keep from flinching, fingers stroking through his hair in a way that she only does when she is entirely too pleased with him, “What a smart boy. What did that child have to say of the horse?”

 

“That the school doesn’t own it. It’s currently here for their con,” Sabo bites his tongue sharply because he can never pronounce this correctly and she will not be pleased. “Con-ser-vatin efforts. He did say that it was possible to get Jaskell’s breeder’s name.”

 

“Jaskell?”

 

“The horse, mother. They have two names, one for their pedigree and the other that they are called publicly. Jaskell or Philonious de Sol. The first name can be changed by the owner if it is prefered, that’s why I was speaking to him.”

 

“I see,” his mother steps into the car as the driver holds the door. Sabo doesn’t look because he knows that two of his classmates are richer than him, and one’s mother is titled, but they don’t have drivers like his mother insisted on using today since his father couldn’t make it with them. “You will be spending extra time with your vocal coach before the event, we can’t have you mispronouncing anything. It would be an embarrassment.”

 

Sabo can feel his face flush red, ducking his head to hide it, “Yes, mother.”

* * *

  
  


“Don’t touch your collar,” Sabo frowns as his mother taps his hands away from his throat, the top button of his dress shirt too tight and the collar pressing harder when he turns his head. “Dear, are you sure that we’re wearing something appropriate? I know that you said you asked the teacher-,” she pauses but the question hangs there for a long moment.

 

“I had him write it down,” Sabo’s father agrees smoothing his shirt down and making sure that it was properly tucked in.

 

Sabo feels out of of place, glad that he had been allowed a short sleeve shirt instead of the long sleeves that his dad had to wear. It’s weird to see his mother in anything but skirts and dresses, but Mr. Benn had been very detailed in what was expected for all three of them to wear and Sabo is grateful because his mother had been talking about suits and polished shoes, about the sun dresses that she had wanted to look at.

 

“You will be on your best behaviour,” Sabo’s father reminds him as his mother pats the pockets of her pants. “We will look through the stalls and things before going in. Your mother says that you spoke of purchasing a horse?”

 

“I assumed that if you would allow me to compete, you would want me on my own horse instead of one belonging to the school or borrowed, sir?”

 

His father hums, “I see.”

 

Sabo doesn’t know if that’s a good or bad sign, but his father does lead him through the stalls, pausing to purchase a few things that they would need or that Sabo mentioned would be helpful for his lessons. It’s slow and by the time they reach the stands, it’s starting to get more crowded.

 

“Are others from your class going to be here?”

 

Sabo bites his tongue on an agreement, because Ace is going to be here, but that’s not who they’re asking after. They meant one of the ones that had parents who were important to their plans.

 

“I believe a few of them made mention of trying to attend,” which he hopes is non committal enough to keep them from being upset should no one else show up.

 

“Mr and Mrs Outlook,” Mr. Benn says smiling as he approaches, wearing a polo with the school’s name on his chest. “I’m glad you could make it. Sabo, I hope you watch the younger groups competing. I’m sure you’ll be ready for our youngest level by the next event and it’ll help you to see them in action.”

 

“Do you really think so?” Sabo asks excited, because his parents can’t be upset about this. He’s doing well enough that his teacher thinks he could start up in the easier competitions. “I mean, that soon, sir?’

 

Mr. Benn nods, glancing over Sabo’s shoulder to where he knows his parents are, “If you don’t mind, that is? You will of course be able to stop Sabo from trying to compete if you so desire. I’ve mentioned his ability to one of my co-workers and he agrees that with some more polish, Sabo would do very well.”

 

“Polish?” the way his mother’s voice lits upward is worrying.

 

Mr. Benn keeps smiling however, “Sabo is good, but as all beginners do, he’s going to have moves that aren’t executed exactly. Like when we were practicing slowing from a canter before stopping? Sabo gave the cue to slow too soon. Polish, he has talent, he just needs to perfect it.”

 

“As anyone does,” Sabo’s father agrees, but there’s something that tells Sabo that he’s not pleased. Either he thinks Sabo should do better or he thinks Mr. Benn is wrong. “Would you say that getting Sabo his own horse would help?”

 

“It would depend. There are different styles of riding. Dressage, show jumping, and eventing are what this school tends to focus on. If Sabo chose show jumping and you had gotten a horse, it could be that the horse is more for dressage. If you would like him to ride a specific horse, there are options to lease one and it would be available for him for a number of days a week.”

 

His father looks thoughtful, “Do most children show talents for one or the other after they start training in it specifically?”

 

“Either talent or a passion. I know that the owner’s son has said he wants to do show jumping when he’s older, but there’s no need for him to have a horse for that until then. He tends to ride a horse that belongs to a family member.”

 

“And what is the difference between the three? Are they similar?”

 

“They’ve very different. Dressage is,” Mr. Benn pauses in thought. “I’ve heard it called ballet for horses. The horse and rider will perform a series of things from memory. It needs to look effortless, the rider needs to be relaxed. It’s delicate work for the rider. Show jumping is jumping over set obstacles, a challenge but less delicate, the group there on foot walking in the arena? Those are some of the show jumpers, they walk through first so that they know about all the obstacles. Then there is eventing, which is a combination of dressage, show jumping, and cross country.”

 

“And horses can show a talent for one over the other?” Sabo’s mother asks curiously.

 

“Horses are bred to be better at one or another in most cases. Our owner’s horses are bred for his use in eventing. They’re well rounded. The breed he uses, the Holsteiner, is the main one that we have here. They were chosen for the school because they have better trots and walks than average.”

 

“Is that the same breed as the one Sabo rides?”

 

“No, I think you tend to try and get Jaskell, right Sabo?” Mr. Benn waits for his nod. “Jaskell is not a Holsteiner,” he stops, eyes going past Sabo and his parents and his grin growing wider. “Oh, sir, I see that you made it in time. Is your grandson going to be cleaning out the events for his age again?”

 

The man, taller than anyone Sabo’s ever seen, laughs quietly, “He’s certainly going to try. He’s been talking about nothing but the little school competition since it was announced and you know he’s been working hard to get back in shape.”

 

“Back in shape?” Sabo asks softly, trying not to flinch when they all turn to look at him. “Sorry.”

 

“My grandson was in an accident, he’s only been able to ride again recently. Is this one of your students, Benn?”

 

“Sabo Outlook, sir. Sabo this is Garp Monkey, he and his family own the school and everything else here. He’s gotten several medals in the Olympics for his eventing,” Benn introduces. “Where is your grandson, sir?”

 

“Sleeping,” Garp answers shifting his arms a little to show he’s holding something. “I’ll wake him up when his parents get here, they went to get the last of our group. How are you enjoying riding, Sabo?”

 

Sabo shifts but his parents look encouraging, which he thinks leans more to annoyed at being ignored by the owner of the school, but willing to allow him to talk to Sabo, “It’s a lot of fun. Mr. Benn says he thinks I’m doing really well and I want to keep riding for as long as I can!”

 

Garp laughs, it’s big and booming, “I’m glad. I love riding too, both of my sons started learning when they were young and that’s how my oldest met his wife.”

 

“Are you talking about us again, old man?”

 

“Roger,” Garp says brightly. “I see you and Rouge have returned. How are you feeling today, Shanks?”

 

Sabo wants to step back, there’s a lot of people and while they aren’t crowding, it’s closer than he would like them to be.

 

“I’m fine,” Shanks Rötthar says, but he looks tired, one of his sleeves pinned closed high up where his arm should be. “Needed some help with this, but I thought that my little brother would like to see me supporting him for his return.”

 

“If you could wake him up, Garp,” the lady says stepping closer to Garp. “Still sleeping now, firefly? It’s time to wake up or you’ll never be ready to compete. Oh, there’s your eyes, good morning.”

 

Sabo can’t hear the answer she gets, but she laughs and Garp shifts some, probably to let her see her kid better.

 

“Come on, you’ve got to get up or you can’t see your friend today and I think you would hate to miss him,” she continues. “Awake now, firefly?”

 

“Mhm.” Sabo blinks in confusion as Garp shifts again, his grandson, Ace!, sitting on his arm and leaning sleepily against him, “Mornin’ mama.”

 

“Good morning, firefly. Did you sleep well?” she brushes his hair back with her hand, shifting his polo and smoothing it down. “You can’t sleep through the competition, not when your big brother came just to see you do your best.”

 

“Shanks?” Ace yawns turning to find him. “Mornin’ Shanks. Did mama make you get up too?”

 

Shanks laughs, “Not me, I was already up and almost ready to go when they showed up. Just needed some help with my shirt. Is this that friend of yours that Benn’s been telling me about, Ace?”

 

Ace shifts again and grins brightly, “Sabo! You made it!”

 

“I was invited,” Sabo says slowly. “It’s nice to meet you?”

 

“It’s nice to meet you too, Sabo. I’m Ace’s mom, Rouge Portgas, I compete with my maiden name most of the time,” Rouge winks at him. “And this is his dad, Roger Gol, he uses his mother’s name instead of Garp’s.”

 

“Ace hasn’t stopped talking about you since he met you,” Roger holds out a hand and Sabo shakes it nervously. “He’s very excited about you being here. He’s been telling everyone about his new friend.”

 

“I’m really glad to be his friend too,” Sabo says quickly before his parents can correct him. He’s Ace’s friend, even before his parents and gramps turned out to be the owners of the school. “Ace is competing today?”

 

“Yeah,” Ace yawns around the word, scrubbing his eyes. “Gramps is letting me use Lis. I competed before but,” he trails off and Sabo remembers the accident that everyone had been talking about last year because Shanks Rötthar had lost his arm and the two kids in the car with him had been hurt. It was the first thing that came up when he had looked up Shanks. “Benn thinks that I’m okay to ride again.”

 

“And go back to your private lessons,” Benn agrees. “I have to go, one of my students is up and I want to wish them luck.”

 

Sabo tilts his head to the side in confusion, “Shouldn’t Mr. Benn have already been with them?”

 

“Benn had to give up a couple of his students after my accident, but he was able to keep this one because they only work with him to get better at jumping,” Shanks answers grinning. “He’s going to show his support and it’s gonna take a minute to get to them. It’s nice to meet you, Sabo, right? Ace’s been sneaking more carrots than normal to his lessons.”

 

“Ace said it was okay? I brought apples.”

 

Shanks laughs, “Two types of treats? Did you tell Gramps that you were spoiling his horse, Ace?”

 

“Gramps said I could,” Ace answers wiggling. “Down please Gramps.”

 

Garp bends down, setting Ace down on his feet and kneeling, “Hold on, I didn’t finish your boots up and you’ll forget if you go to talk to your friend,” Ace whines and Garp laughs. “What a whiny grandson, I thought that was supposed to be Luffy now.”

 

“I’m not whiny,” Ace grumbles, but stands still for Garp until he’s done. “Sabo, I wanna introduce you to someone else too! Um,” he pauses and looks at Sabo’s parents. “Can Sabo come with me?”

 

“Go ahead, Sabo,” his father says firmly after a long moment, Sabo doesn’t recognize the look that he’s given, it’s worrying but it’s something for later. “I’m sure you and your friend can go explore, if his parents are fine with that.”

 

Rouge’s smile looks like a shark’s, Sabo wants to know how her teeth are human but can look so pointy as he looks at her, “Sabo is absolutely allowed to go and explore with Ace. I’m sure that if you stop by the vet tent,” Sabo has never seen anyone turn their back on his parents like that before. “That your grandma will be there.”

 

“Okay,” Ace agrees, brightly. “Come on Sabo, if we go quick, Grandma might hold some of her treats for after Lis and me compete.”

 

Sabo follows Ace out of the stands, glancing around nervously, “Why not before?”

 

“Before?”

 

“Can’t Lis have treats now?”

 

“Oh,” Ace shakes his head. “No. Gramps says that it’ll upset her stomach. So only after. Dad says that you can do it between sometimes? But I don’t get it, so Lis only gets treats when we’re all done. Grandma’s gonna be over there, she’s a vet.”

 

“Are all of your family involved with horses?” Sabo asks curiously.

 

“Gramps is in the calvary, but he rides competitively and placed in the Olympics. Mom is known for her eventing and is real big named, she and dad really did meet cause they were in the same big event. Gramps was married before Grandma, that’s my dad’s mom, and she was a rider too. Dad does jumping and he brought in Shanks, who isn’t really my brother, but I think he should be. And he’s got Benn. Uncle Dragon’s my main trainer.”

 

Sabo frowns, trying to listen as Ace talks because that’s a lot of information all at once, “Shanks has Benn?”

 

“They’re dating,” Ace pulls a face. “They’re real gross and kissy, well, they were before. They would be gross while training me when Uncle Dragon couldn’t make it. Mama says that they’ll be gross and kissy eventually, but I think Shanks is still too sad about his arm.”

 

Which Sabo knows is gone, because he saw it just a few minutes ago. He doesn’t know if he should say sorry or tell Ace that it’ll get better, because he’s never had to comfort someone before, but he doesn’t have to as Ace speeds up and slams into a woman with her hair pulled up high.

 

“Grandma!”

 

“Ace!” she laughs, spinning him around. “I was hoping to see you. Did my husband wake you up like he was suppose to?”

 

“Nope,” Ace pops the ‘p’, grinning. “Grandma, this is my best friend, Sabo.”

 

Sabo feels dizzy, he’s Ace’s  _ best _ friend. He’s never had a friend before and now he has a best friend!

 

“Sabo, was it,” she winks. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Dr. Monkey or Mrs. Monkey. What are you two doing here? I thought you would be introducing your friend to your parents?”

 

Ace laughs, “I did, they don’t like Sabo’s mom or dad. Uncle Dragon says they’re rude though, so that’s okay. But mama and dad said Sabo can still be my friend. We’re gonna go see Lis! Will you keep treats for her after?”

 

“Of course,” Dr. Monkey agrees, reaching into her pockets and pulling out two granola bars. “For growing boys. I know you haven’t eaten yet, Ace.”

 

“Did too,” Ace says taking it anyway and biting it in half. “Thanks grandma. Remember you promised Lis treats after!”

 

“I’ll remember,” she promises, stepping closer to Sabo and waiting for him to take the granola bar. “Eat this, if you do, he will remember to finish his,” she pats his head before heading back into the tent.

 

“Come on, Sabo!” Ace bounces as he walks, leading the way towards the arena.

 

Sabo follows, watching as they turn down a hallway and ending up near stables that look somewhat familiar, the number of people is higher than Sabo is use to. And there’s more horses than he’s ever seen, except in pictures. Ace leads the way through them, until the crowd seems to vanish, standing in front of a gate.

 

“This is all the private stuff,” Ace explains bouncing up on his toes to punch in a code to open the gate. “Gramps put this in, cause he says it’s suppose to be safer.”

 

“It would stop people from going in,” Sabo doesn’t point out that they could climb, but even he can see the cameras on the top of the fence. “But you always take Lis into the same stable that the rest of the horses are in.”

 

“I brush her there and bring her here with Roo’s help, he’s the groom that always follows me,” Ace explains leading the way into the stable and down the middle to a stall. “Lis!”

 

Lis snorts at him, allowing Ace to pet her as Sabo joins him, “You said she was your gramps’ horse, right?”

 

“Yeah. Grandma thinks that she’ll be his last professional one too. She says he’s getting old, but I think gramps might try to prove her wrong, just because that’s what gramps does,” Ace answers. “Are you okay?”

 

“Your gramps was in the Olympics, Ace. So was your big brother! You said your gramps was good at riding, not one of the best.”

 

Ace hums, before glancing at Sabo, “People use to talk to my dad all the time because his parents were super famous horse riders. And Shanks says that a lot of people would try and be his friends because they knew he was being trained by dad. I, after the accident, when no one in class realized, I thought it was fun. No one was gonna be like that. You became my friend and you thought my gramps was only okay.”

 

“My parents would have insisted on me being your friend if they had known before. Not that I don’t like you,” Sabo adds. “But they want the family to be important. I did ballet and golf and tap dancing before this because they want to use me to meet other, higher ranking, adults.”

 

“Mama doesn’t like them, so I don’t think that’s gonna work. She likes you though, so you can be my friend and your parents can keep being stupid.”

 

“Does Mr. Benn really think I could be good? I know he said so, but was that just to get my parents here or-?”

 

Ace laughs, “Benn is really hopeful that you’ll do dressage. He thinks you could, but you could do anything. I like eventing and jumping, dressage is hard. It looks easy but it’s so hard. You should see the videos we have of mama and gramps doing it.”

 

“I thought eventing had dressage?” Sabo says slowly, trying to remember what Mr. Benn had said.

 

“Yeah,” Ace agrees, sighing. “I know. I like to pretend that it doesn’t because I like jumping more and it’s twice the jumping. But I can learn, it’s hard, but it looks really cool if you’re good.”

 

“Mr. Benn teaches dressage?”

 

“He did before, but dad took him off of it because it’s a lot of stress when your students are competing and Shanks says he’s okay, but he’s real upset about his arm. He wanted to go back to the Olympics and now he never can,” Ace shakes his head and smacks his cheeks. “I’m not allowed to cry at competitions until I win, it’s distracting.”

 

“Okay?”

 

Ace lights back up, “Maybe after, if they say it’s alright, do you think you can come to my house and see some of the videos? It’s like magic! I think we have mama’s Olympic video and maybe we’ve got one of Benn’s competitions too!”

 

“Maybe,” Sabo says slowly. “Shouldn’t you be calmer, you have to ride soon, right?”

 

“Maybe, but,” Ace reminds Sabo of a balloon at the end of a string, bobbing up and down. “I have a friend! And we’re allowed to explore! Come on, I’ll show you the other horses!”

 

Sabo follows, grinning back, he liked having a friend too.


End file.
